Peluche

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A soft toy or stuffed animal made from fabric, commonly filled with plush material for added comfort
2. A cuddly, plush object often used for children's play or comfort, typically shaped like an animal or character
3. A cozy, tactile item often serving as a child's companion, designed from soft material for huggable appeal

Etymology: Before it named a toy, "peluche" named a fabric. It comes from Old French, where "peluche" described a soft, shaggy cloth with a raised pile, and that fabric, rather than any animal shape, is the core of the word. English took the same French term as "plush," so the two words are close relatives that arrived in English by way of the same French source. The toy sense grew from the fabric. A soft pile fabric was a natural material for stuffed animals and dolls, so "peluche" came to mean the soft plaything made from it. In French the toy use is now the everyday one, and most speakers hear the word first as a stuffed animal rather than as a textile.

Synonyms: plush, stuffed toy, soft toy, teddy, cuddly toy